Monument record 7109/1 - Husbands Bosworth Airfield

RAF Husbands Bosworth was built in 1942-3 as a satellite airfield of RAF Market Harborough. The 85th Operational Training Unit was established here in 1944 and disbanded a year later in 1945. The wartime airfield consisted of three concrete runways, four aircraft hangars (Type T2) with temporary accomodation for the airfield personnel. The airfield was decommissioned by the R.A.F. in 1946 and in 1948 the station camp buildings were placed under the control of the National Assistance Board for housing displaced Polish families; in use until 1956. The decommissioned airfield has been home to the Gliding Centre since 1965 and the East Midlands Air Support Unit since 1996. In 2003 the brick control tower was reported as standing derelict.

{1} Plan of the airfield and associated sites in May 1945; identification of resident flying units and aerial photo from the summer of 1943 on pp262-63. Airfield named Husbands Bosworth located partly in Northants east of the A50 and north of Sulby Hall. A satellite of 14 OUT Market Harborough 28.7.1943 to 15.6.1944 and 85 OUT from 15.6.1944 to 14.6.1945. Built to class A standard. Aircraft code: HZ. Elevation 500ft amsl. PoW camp located close to Sulby Hall Farm.

{2} The proposed completion date was given as 15th March 1943, with George Wimpey and Co. Ltd as the main contractor at an estimated cost of £805,000. The considerable tonnage of gravel used in the
construction of the aerodrome was brought to Kilworth Wharf by canal and it is recorded that on occasion the line of boats waiting to unload extended back as far as the Welford Arm junction.

A revised completion date was set of October 1943, however, by 1st August 1943, the aerodrome started to receive the first personnel from the 14th Operational Training Unit (14 OTU), R.A.F. Cottesmore and R.A.F Saltby. On the 10th August day-flying started and on the 17th August night-flying commenced. The unit was a full strength training unit equipped with Vickers Wellington Mk. III/X bombers and a smaller complement of Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc/IV fighters.

On 15th June 1944 85 OTU was formed at Husbands Bosworth, under the command of Group Captain D.J. Eayrs DFC. On that date Husbands Bosworth was upgraded to an independent station and placed under the direct command of HQ 92 Group. 85 OTU was formed as a three-quarter strength OTU equipped with 30 + 10 Wellington Mk. III/X bombers and four Miles Martinet target tug aircraft. 14 OTU was reduced to a threequarter strength OTU at the same time. The first crews were posted to 85 OTU for operational training on 27th June 1944.

The airfield was constructed with 3 runways. Runway No.1 was built aligned east-west, and measured 1999 yards in length. Runway No.2 was 1412 yards and aligned north-east/south-west and runway No.3 was aligned approx. north-northwest/ south-south-east and was 1408 yards. Thirty-six dispersed sites were strung around the perimeter track and a bomb store was constructed to the north of the site.
Four main aircraft hangers were erected, a water treatment works constructed adjacent to Sulby Reservoir and a sewage plant was built about a mile outside the perimeter road, east of Sulby Hall Farm.

The 85th Operational Training Unit was disbanded on 14th June 1945, exactly one year after its formation. The airfield was decommissioned by the R.A.F. in 1946 and in 1948 the station camp buildings were placed under the control of the National Assistance Board for housing displaced Polish families. In 1950 the Polish camp housed over 500 people, had its own church, school, and recreation room. The former RAF buildings continued in this use through to 1956. After the closure of the aerodrome and release of the land by the government, the truncated Sibbertoft Road was realigned along part of the line of the former No.1 runway. The decommissioned airfield has been home to the Gliding Centre since 1965 and the East Midlands Air Support Unit since 1996.

{3} Information from Dr M Osborne March 1998. DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY: Structures surviving for Husbands Bosworth airfield. " Control tower, Parachute Store, Flootlight Tractor site and trailer shed, Night-flying Equipment store, huts. Ops block, Main Workshops (TB hutting) etc. Straddles Leics boundary."

{4} A military airfield, opened in 1943, closed in 1956. The wartime airfield consisted of three concrete runways, four aircraft hangars (Type T2) with temporary accomodation for the airfield personnel. During World War Two it was used by Operational Training Units and was assigned to 92 Group of Royal Air Force Bomber Command. Use in 1985 was nored as by gliders.

Husbands Bosworth Airfield: In 2003 the brick control tower was reported as standing derelict, with "very few" other buildings surviving. The site use in 2003 was said to be agriculture and gliding.

<1> Gibson M.L., 1982, Aviation In Northamptonshire: An Illustrated History, p.262-263 (unchecked) (Book). SNN100276.

<2> Garwood, A., 2017, Former RAF Store, Sulby Hall, Old Drive, Sulby, Northamptonshire: Historic Building Recording (Report). SNN111224.

<3> Osbourne, M Dr, 1998, Husbands Bosworth Airfield (Oral Report). SNN111225.

<4> Truman, R, 2003, Control Towers: Husbands Bosworth Airfield, accessed 08-JUN-2004 (Website). SNN113038.

<5> Willis, S. and Holliss, B., 1987, Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945, p. 110 (Book). SNN111556.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:19PM